This Is What Kamala Harris Did Before She Got Into Politics

Kamala Harris made history when Joe Biden announced her as his vice presidential running mate on Aug. 11, 2020. According to The New York Times, Harris is "the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major party." Per the outlet, Harris is "the daughter of two immigrant academics, an Indian-American mother and a father from Jamaica." It was actually her mother who, in part, fueled Harris' drive. According to Biden's official website, growing up, Harris' mother told her: "Don't sit around and complain about things, do something."

Naturally, being tapped as Biden's running mate put Harris in the public eye in a major way. So what was her path to potential VP? In terms of education, Harris graduated from Howard University and then went on to graduate with a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, according to Biden's official website. Upon graduating from the University of California, Harris worked at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, per BBC, and embarked on her career with a very important focus.

Kamala Harris got her career started working at the Alameda County District Attorney's Office, "where she focused on prosecuting child sexual assault cases," according to Joe Biden's official website. She went on to become San Francisco's District Attorney in 2003 — the first Black woman elected to the position. In 2010, Harris was elected as California's attorney general, again, as the first Black woman to take on the role, per BBC. The position was an impressive one, as she was "the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America's most populous state."

All that being said, Harris' time as attorney general was not without controversy. According to Politico, when children missed too much school, Harris prosecuted parents for truancy in an effort to increase school attendance. While no parents went to jail, Harris later said on an episode of Pod Save America in April 2019 that she regretted the way the law had the potential to criminalize parents.

In August 2020, The New York Times reported that Harris had prosecuted "many people for marijuana infractions," which was brought up by Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii during a 2020 primary debate.

Despite those instances, Harris' time as attorney general created a link to Biden through his son. While Harris was filling the role in California, Beau Biden was the attorney general in Delaware, according to The New York Times, and they became close. Following her time as the attorney general of California, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2017, per BBC, and is now on the Democratic ticket as vice president.